Sunday, 6 November 2016

BSBI Plant Study Grant helps Josh survey woodland plants

MoschatelImage: J. Styles

BSBI's Training Team does an amazing job supporting our next generation of botanists. One of the ways they do this is by providing an annual round of Plant Study Grants and Training Grants. So we are delighted to invite recipients of such grants to share their stories here on the BSBI's News & Views pages. It's great to hear about what courses people signed up for, or the fieldwork they were able to carry out, as a result of their BSBI grant. Here's Josh's story:

"Beginning with my wildflower garden at the early age of 12 was
when I started to see plants in a totally different light – that these
organisms underpin life for the immense diversity of invertebrate and
vertebrate pollinators, herbivores, predators and parasites.

Wild garlicImage: J. Styles

Plants were
amazing and every new one I saw I wanted to know what it was and what role that
species played in its ecosystem.

As this passion grew, I engaged in more
voluntary work and began my life as a local wildlife sites surveyor at the age
of 17, and at the age of 21 gained a level 5 in my BSBI Field Studies Certificate (FISC). My hope is that from this passion, next year at graduation
will come a botany-centric ecologist role somewhere in Britain.

During the second year of my BSc Ecology degree at Edge Hill
University, I chose to do my dissertation topic on the ancient woodland
indicator species within South Lancashire (vice county 59).

Bluebell and StitchwortImage: J. Styles

All woodland sites,
most especially ancient woods, were absolutely spectacular through the survey
season between March and August. I saw some amazing sites, including a
surprising patch of Sanicle Sanicula europaea in one of the ancient woodland sites in
Rufford, with other beauties such as the carpets of strongly scented Wild garlic Allium ursinum
and Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta.

SanicleImage: J. Styles

After surveying was complete I used indicator species analysis on species data for all woodland sites and found 19 indicator species
which included species such as Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Soft shield-fern Polystichum setiferum and Wood millet Milium effusum. You can see the table of indicator species here.

To feasibly do this study, I needed to compare ancient and
secondary woodlands across the county which would realistically cost me a lot
on travel expenses as I do not own a car.

Josh giving a presentation on his survey workImage courtesy of J. Styles

At this point I applied for a plant
studies grant from the BSBI for which I was granted £250.

This gave me a
ginormous helping hand in my investigation allowing me to take trains, buses
and taxis to appropriate survey sites. I also received a big helping hand from
the Edge Hill University biology department providing occasional transport to
sites.

I feel absolutely privileged to have received support from
the BSBI that has enabled me to do a large proportion of my study that I
otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do and have seen some absolutely
spectacular woodlands, whilst improving my ID skills of vascular and
non-vascular plants along the way.

Soft Shield-fernImage: J. Styles

I doubt the memories of the myriads of
fantastically diverse plants will dissipate anytime soon!"Great to hear about the fieldwork Josh was able to carry out as a result of his BSBI Plant Study Grant - many thanks to Josh for sharing his story. We've invited him to have an exhibit at the BSBI Exhibition Meeting on 26th November, so if you'd like to come along and hear more, you'll want to book here!